Collection of 12 antique French framed herbariums 18" x 11½"

This curated collection features 12 antique French framed botanical "herbiers," recently enclosed behind glass to preserve their condition. Each piece, harvested by a collector named Robert Jouvaud in 1922 and 1923, presents a different plant species, meticulously labeled with its scientific name.

These preserved botanical samples offer a glimpse into early 20th-century botany, combining scientific interest with artistic appeal. They make an elegant display and a sophisticated accent for any lover of botanical art and vintage charm. "Herbiers," or herbariums, have a longstanding tradition in France, with their history intertwined with the fields of botany and herbal medicine.

A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens that are typically dried, pressed, and mounted on sheets of paper with labels providing crucial information about each plant. The practice dates back to the 16th century when herbalists and physicians collected plants to study their medicinal properties. This tradition gained scientific rigor in the 18th century with the work of botanists like Carl Linnaeus, who standardized the method of collecting and categorizing plant specimens, which was soon adopted in France.

By the 19th and early 20th centuries, collecting herbarium samples became a popular educational activity. It was also an era of exploration and colonization, where French botanists traveled and cataloged plants from around the world. Schools and universities began to maintain their collections for teaching purposes, and these collections were often beautiful, as well as scientific, with each specimen carefully prepared, labeled, and sometimes illustrated.